Ann Patchett

I love Ann Patchett. She writes so well, her writing never intrudes, it seems completely effortless. So this book was not bad it just wasn't great. It's the story of a woman research scientist who goes down to the Amazon jungles to find a co-worker who died under the supervision of a slightly mad scientist who is working on developing a top secret potential fertility drug from a bark that the tribal women eat every day that causes them to be fertile into their 60's. 
For some reason the story or the characters never grabbed me. The main character always felt a bit remote, she was in a relationship that didn't make much sense other than for narrative purposes and so I never cared deeply about her angst. The ending was neat with a few very nice touches. After the surprising tacked on stinker of an ending in Bel Canto she owed us something though. I even shed a few tears but overall it was not her best work.